Environment grants for nonprofits in California
2,750 private foundations reported 6,853 environment grants to organizations in California on IRS 990-PF returns for tax year 2022 or later, $790.6M in all. 1,062 of them are based in California.
Foundations2,750
Grants on record6,853
Total granted$790.6M
Their typical grant$6,500
Foundations that fund environment in California
20 of the 2,750: profiles in our foundation directory first, then by the number of environment grants to California organizations on their latest return. Each shows its largest such grants.
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Amazonsmile Foundation
Seattle, WA · latest return: tax year 2023- Surfrider Foundation, San Clemente - General support$20,041
- Sierra Club Foundation, Oakland - General support$18,972
- Earthjustice, San Francisco - General support$6,966
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Gave $350M in 2024
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Los Altos, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- ClimateWorks Foundation, San Francisco - Environment and Science$10,500,000
- ClimateWorks Foundation, San Francisco - Environment and Science$10,000,000
- Climate Breakthrough Inc, Berkeley - Environment and Science$7,500,000
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Patagoniaorg
Ventura, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Earth Island Institute, San Francisco - To support environmental projects.$80,000
- Resources Legacy Fund, Sacramento - To support environmental projects.$75,000
- Climate Justice Alliance, Berkeley - To support environmental projects.$50,000
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Gave $27.9M in 2024
The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment Inc
Bethesda, MD · latest return: tax year 2024- Resources Legacy Fund, Sacramento - California land-sea connection$1,025,000
- Resources Legacy Fund, Sacramento - California land-sea connection$1,025,000
- Resources Legacy Fund, Sacramento - California land-sea connection$1,025,000
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Gave $185.4M in 2024
The Schmidt Family Foundation
Palo Alto, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation, Monterey - Ocean stewardship and research$8,000,000
- Sogorea Te Land Trust, Oakland - Supporting indigenous communities' land stewardship, self-determination, and cultural representation$3,175,000
- Apparel Impact Institute, Oakland - Advancing sustainable materials$2,000,000
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Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation
Palo Alto, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Resources Legacy Fund, Sacramento - To launch a funding facility that will support countries to develop and implement ambitious policies for…$6,500,000
- Peninsula Open Space Trust, Palo Alto - To support the long-term stewardship of wildlife passage, endangered species conservation and protected…$4,250,000
- International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation, San Francisco - To support the acceleration and standardization of nature-related disclosures at a global scale.$3,990,000
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Gave $24.1M in 2024
Clif Bar Family Foundation
Saint Helena, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs, Calabasas - Revitalize the Environment$625,000
- Greenlining Institute, Oakland - Revitalize the Environment$250,000
- Hack Foundation, West Hollywood - Revitalize the Environment$250,000
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The California Endowment
Los Angeles, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Humboldt Area Foundation, Bayside - Promoting climate and community resilience via leadership, health and safety$1,000,000
- California State Wildlife Foundation, Berkeley - Climate science alliance - building tribal climate resiliency and health$662,554
- East Bay Community Foundation, Oakland - Building healing and sustainability capacity for healthy communities$500,000
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Gave $625M in 2024
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Liberty Hill Foundation, Los Angeles - For the environmental leadership initiative$3,000,000
- Resources Legacy Fund, Sacramento - For wildfire strategies$3,000,000
- Resources Legacy Fund, Sacramento - For the western energy project$1,800,000
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Walton Family Foundation Inc
Bentonville, AR · latest return: tax year 2024- Water Foundation, Sacramento - To leverage public funds for on-the-ground water solutions in the face of climate change by supporting the…$3,500,000
- Water Foundation, Sacramento - To support the field of water philanthropy while advocating for sustainable and equitable water management…$1,485,500
- Cambiar Education, San Diego - To help nonprofit developers develop stronger revenue generation and sustainability models.$850,000
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Gave $46.7M in 2024
The Marisla Foundation
Laguna Beach, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Resources Legacy Fund, Sacramento - General support$1,000,000
- Earthjustice, San Francisco - General support$500,000
- Orange County Coastkeeper, Costa Mesa - General support$350,000
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Laural Foundation
San Francisco, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Water Foundation, Sacramento - Support for the clean water campaign and general operating support$1,000,000
- Water Foundation, Sacramento - General operating support$1,000,000
- Parks California, Sacramento - Support the resources stewardship program$500,000
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Gave $622.6M in 2024
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Princeton, NJ · latest return: tax year 2024- Prevention Institute, Oakland - Expanding the people, parks, and power's broad-based movement for park and green-space equity in the u.s.,…$2,384,842
- Climate Justice Alliance, Los Angeles - General operating support for the climate justice alliance$500,000
- Trust for Public Land, San Francisco - Increasing park equity in newark, n.j., neighborhoods and expanding green-space support to elizabeth, passaic…$456,804
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Gave $14.4M in 2024
Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund
San Francisco, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Carbon Cycle Institute, Petaluma - Bay area climate-beneficial agriculture$75,000
- Pesticide Action Network North America Re, Berkeley - Pesticides, climate, and agriculture$75,000
- Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, Calabasas - Teach$70,000
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Gave $48.8M in 2024
The California Wellness Foundation
Los Angeles, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Community Water Center, Visalia - Core operating support$500,000
- Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, Los Angeles - Core operating support$300,000
- California Environmental Justice Alliance, Los Angeles - Core operating support$300,000
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The Pfizer Foundation Inc
New York, NY · latest return: tax year 2024- Peninsula Open Space Trust, Palo Alto - Matching gifts$20,000
- Earthjustice, San Francisco - Matching gifts$2,987
- Sierra Club Foundation, Oakland - Matching gifts$867
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The Heising-Simons Foundation
Los Altos, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Environmental Defense Fund Inc, San Francisco - To advance climate and clean energy policies$3,600,000
- Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco - To advance climate and clean energy policies$3,300,000
- Climateworks Foundation, San Francisco - To advance climate finance$700,000
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Freedom Together Foundation
New York, NY · latest return: tax year 2024- Trust for Public Land, San Francisco - Knowledge into action: improve access and equity, innovate policy, leverage funding, build local partnerships…$4,500,000
- Earthjustice, San Francisco - Leveraging the power of the law to build healthy & equitable communities$2,500,000
- Solutions Project Inc, Oakland - Let's create the future: capacity building strategies for climate justice solutions$2,250,000
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Builders Vision Foundation
Chicago, IL · latest return: tax year 2024- Multiplier, San Francisco - to support a program focused on engaging new communities in marine conservation$350,000
- Regents of the University of California at San Diego, La Jolla - to support research on the contributions of coral adaptation to conservation and restoration efforts$297,663
- Legacy Philanthropy Works, Santa Barbara - to support its work creating and managing fisheries refugia in Boca del Alamo$250,000
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The James Irvine Foundation
San Francisco, CA · latest return: tax year 2024- Tribal Eco Restoration Alliance, Upper Lake - For general operating support$650,000
- Planting Justice, Oakland - For support of California activities$40,000
- Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc, Calabasas - To support environmental justice in CA$6,500
Search more environment funders giving in California →
Organizations several of these foundations fund
California organizations that received environment grants from two or more of the foundations above, on the same returns.
| Organization | Funders | Grants total |
|---|---|---|
| Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc Calabasas | 13 | $8,257,067 |
| Resources Legacy Fund Sacramento | 11 | $28,276,800 |
| The Trust for Public Land Los Angeles | 11 | $8,085,750 |
| Multiplier San Francisco | 10 | $10,699,909 |
| Earthjustice San Francisco | 10 | $5,475,744 |
| Earth Island Institute Inc Berkeley | 9 | $1,112,057 |
| Community Water Center Visalia | 8 | $1,750,987 |
| California Environmental Justice Alliance Oakland | 7 | $1,950,750 |
| Surfrider Foundation San Clemente | 7 | $699,836 |
| Asian Pacific Environmental Network Oakland | 6 | $1,086,153 |
How to use this list
A foundation is listed because its own latest tax return itemizes grants to organizations in California that we classify as environment, by the purpose the foundation wrote or by the recipient's IRS activity code. Their typical grant is the middle of the funders' own typical grants across everything they fund. Start with funders whose typical grant is close to what you need and whose past recipients look like your organization, then open the profile for all of its grants and any application instructions.
Of these 2,750 foundations, 608 describe how to apply on their latest return; many others give only to organizations they already know. A badge such as Gave $1.2M in 2024 repeats what the latest return reports; it does not mean the foundation is accepting proposals now.
Facts on this page come from the foundation's own IRS Form 990-PF filings as published by the IRS. Grantvello does not know whether a foundation is accepting proposals right now: a past grant is not an open opportunity. Always confirm current guidelines with the funder before applying.